I’ve decided, since my husband is a total nerd, that I’d give you a list of video game books that the nerd in your life might appreciate. Buyer beware, I’ve already purchased at least a few of these for my hubs, and he’s read some of them too.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia by Nintendo

This gorgeous book gives the reader a deep dive into the history of Hyrule, the country that the video game The Legend of Zelda takes place in. It is full of absolutely stunning images and lots of little details. My nerd recently spent an entire Saturday (more than eight straight hours) pouring over this book.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts by Nintendo

A new companion to Hyrule Historia, Art & Artifacts is full of artwork from all the previous and the upcoming Zelda games. It’s available for pre-order now and is set to be published in February.

3. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This novel is all about an immersive video game and a contest to solve the clues and find the hidden easter eggs. Oh, and 80s video game nostalgia. My nerd just read it and absolutely loved it!

4. Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America by Jeff Ryan

Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America gives nerds the story of how Nintendo went from a fledgling Japanese trading card company to the most well-known video game company.

5. Game On: Video Game History from Pong to Pac Man to Mario, Minecraft and More by Dustin Hansen

This book looks like a comprehensive history of video games, including random facts like how characters got their names or weird things developers did while creating those games. It covers a huge range of games, from the early arcade games to the brand new games coming out this year.

6. Epic by Conor Kostick

This novel is about a society where a video game governs and decides justice. But, one boy wants to subvert the rules and end the tyranny.

7. Guy in Real Life by Steve Brezenoff

I’m not totally sure what this book is about…two very different people who like different kinds of games meet…and something gels. From reviews, it souds like some of the story actually takes place in video games. Could be interesting.

8. Level Up by Gene Luen Yang

A graphic novel about a guy who is trying to meet his parents’ expectations but isn’t succeeding…and then some video games seem to collide with his life and become real… Could be very interesting!

9. Armada by Ernest Cline

Yup, another one by Cline. He seems to really know what he’s doing. This one is about a guy who escapes into video games…until they seem to be coming to life around him. It’s a coming of age story, complete with an alien invasion.

10. Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle that Defined a Generation by Blake J. Hams

An underdog story of how Sega came into a marketplace that was completely dominated by Nintendo and somehow managed to win its own stake in the market. This one is definitely for those business nerds who also love video games. This one might be going on my shopping list… 🙂